Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutGrant Related - BOCC (005)GRANT COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS To: Grant County BOCC From: Janice Flynn, Administrative Services Coordinator Dates July 15, 2022 Re: Fire District #3, Quincy Fire District #3 has requested BOCC approval for the purchase of new AED's, Fit Tester and purchases for their Health & Wellness program system as part of their $100-,000 allocation from Grant County ABPA funds. The total estimated cost is $; 6=97. The Fire District's letter explaining each requested expenditure is attached. Thank you. 'LN UNLI I I I1 1 1201 CENTRAL AVE. S. Alan Williamson, Commissioner Randy Zolman, Commissioner November 3, 2021 PO BOX 565 QUINCY, WA. 98848 www.gcfd3.net Grant Application for the ARPA Grant PHONE (509) 78702713 Carl E Yeates, Commissioner April Stucky, District Secretary Grant County Fire District #3 is located in the Quincy Valley, we cover 500 sq. mile. The district's membership is made of both career and volunteers, they respond from 8 strategically located stations, covering both Fire and EMS. With the COVID pandemic, EMS calls have increased and account for 60% of the district call volume, of which approximately 37% are potentially COVID related. The interim final rule acknowledges that "This wave brought acute strain on health care and public health systems: hospitals and emergency medical services struggled to manage a major influx of patients'; and our Department has literally felt this impact. The COVID Pandemic has not only increased our operating cost, but it has also caused a loss of revenue for our district. Income generally generated from State Mobilizations, has been reduced due to the COVID restrictions. Our staff and volunteers were unable to respond to the State Mobilization request due to safety and much need support for the local community. Additionally, a decrease in tax collection from new construction and plan review income continues to be affected by this pandemic. Both of these income streams are usually used to support the purchase of capital items and much needed new equipment. GCFD#3 is facing three vital needs which focus on the taxpayers we protect, staff and volunteer safety. Funds for new AEDs, Fit Tester, and a Health and Wellness program for responders. Vital Need 1 AED Our first vital need is the replacement of our aging AEDs. Our current AEDs are averaging 10 years old and no longer can be updated or repaired. We have been experiencing an increase of cardiac arrest due to COVID and an AED is a critical component of CPR. Without this tool, many lives will be lost. Due to the age of our AEDs, we are no longer able to have the required maintenance completed. GCFD#3 R E h ..i:_a�jsr-•.- AERS .u:m-�ur�-ycn would replace the current AEDs with new Lifepak 1000 which are compatible with our Advance Life Support- Transporting provider and the transition would be seamless. Lifepak 1000 - $3,241.90/AED (10) $32,419.00 Yearly maintenance plan - $350/AED $3,500.00 Total $359919.00 Vital Need 2 Fit Tester The second vital need recognized is for a District owned fit testing machine. It is a state requirement that our members be fitted every year, currently we have to rely on the availability of the Region's fit testing machine for us to stay in compliance. Due to COVID and the CDC's recommendation of N95 mask as the preferred PPE for responders, the fit testing machine is in high demand. This higher demand for the fit testing machine from the Region has caused a decreased in the availability. Due to lack of availability, we are unable to ensure that our members have proper fitting PPE (N95 mask) in a timely manner. Fit Tester $16,154.57 5 -year Calibration &Maintenance Package $4,820.00 Total $209974.57 Vital Need 3 Health and wellness The third vital need facing the district is the health and wellness of our responders. It has been shown that the COVID pandemic has had health and mental life changing effects on everyone and especially responders. Increased mental health issues and stress management problems are felt everywhere. If GCFD#3 had resources available for everyone, the benefit would be felt long term in their personal and professional life. Management cannot turn a blind eye to this issue. GCFD#3 would host three critical classes, offered to members of the district and other Grant County agencies. In preparation for these classes, initial contact has been made with instructors and a tentative agreement on a per person charge vs. flat rate will be assessed, which will enable more individuals to attend. "Critical Incident Stress Management" This class focuses on processing the events of an incident and teaches coping strategies on developing a peer support team. "Responder Well Being" This class assists the responder to recognize the stress and mental health struggles they may face. Suicide Prevention for Responders The long-term benefits of these classes have shown to improve the mental health of responders. Good physical health and working out has proven to be a reliable stress management tool. Many gyms have closed due to COVID, thus the ability to maintain good physical health and stress management has been limited. The current restrictions in place have caused a decline in physical health and mental health. Exercising with your fellow responders offers encouragement, team building and the much-needed peer support. The ability for GCFD#3 to offer an in-house gym would be a great benefit to all our member's physical and mental health. CISM $ 6,000.00 Responder Well Being $39000.00 Suicide Prevention $39000.00 Gym Equipment $25,000.00 Total $379000.00 Total amount of requested funds is $93,893.57 Justification: The interim final rule provided by the Department of the Treasury identifies "a non-exclusive list of programs or services that may be funded as responding to COVID-19 or the negative economic impacts of the COVID- 19 public health emergency, along with considerations for evaluating other potential uses of the Fiscal Recovery Funds not explicitly listed. " Our Fire District lies in a traditionally low-income area of central Washington State. Our funding is reliant upon tax revenue, and we have directly felt the economic impact of lost revenue as taxpayers have their jobs and livelihoods affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. The interim final rule also states that "Specifically, recipients may use payments from the Fiscal Recovery Funds to facilitate access to resources that improve health outcomes, including services that connect residents with health care resources and public assistance programs and build healthier environment. " We believe that our critical needs identified in this request will positively and directly improve health outcomes and our communities when they need it most, during catastrophic emergencies and extreme weather events. Section 602(c1) (1) determines that "governments have flexibility to determine how best to use payments from the Fiscal Recovery Funds to meet the needs of their communities and populations. "Support for Grant County Fire District 3's vital needs would be of great service to our responders, community and the surrounding area that we serve. Thank you for your consideration of Grant County Fire District 3's vital needs. We sincerely appreciate your consideration of our request.